维持
wéichí · HSK 4
keep
🪢 维 = tie/rope + 持 = hold; rope-hold = maintain
维 originally meant the rope that binds something together; 持 means to grasp or hold. Together they describe holding something steady by its tether — to keep or preserve a state.
持 — hand 扌 + temple 寺 (phonetic)
持 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning 'to hold' or 'grasp', while 寺 supplies the sound (it once read close to chí). Originally depicting a hand holding something firmly, it broadened to mean 'maintain', 'support', or 'keep' over time.